Hamilton Avenue

From Pittsburgh Streets
See also Kelvin Street, which was originally named Hamilton Avenue.
Hamilton Avenue
Neighborhoods Homewood South, Homewood West, Larimer
Origin of name Probably Alexander Hamilton
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Grazier Street (until 1891)
Origin of name John Grazier

Hamilton Avenue was originally named Grazier Street.[1][2][3] It was named for John Grazier, who, with John M. Murtland, laid out a plan of lots here in the early 1870s (in the area approximately bounded by Murtland Street, Frankstown Avenue, Lang Avenue, and a line running diagonally from the intersection of Lang Avenue and Grazier Street to where Murtland Avenue crossed the Pennsylvania Railroad).[1][2][3] Grazier had been a grocer,[4][5][6][7] tobacconist and cigar manufacturer,[8][9][10][11][12][13] and lumberman.[14] He moved to Wilkinsburg about 1866.[15][13][14]

Grazier Street was renamed Hamilton Avenue by a city ordinance in 1891.[16] The name probably honors Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), first United States Secretary of the Treasury. Alternatively, George T. Fleming suggests it may refer to Lieutenant Colonel Hance Hamilton, a member of the 1758 expedition of General John Forbes (eponym of Forbes Avenue) that captured the Point from the French.[17]

Grazier Street extended across the city line into the adjoining borough of Brushton. Later in 1891, the borough council renamed its portion of the street as well. The Pittsburg Press wrote: "The street committee reported in favor of changing the name of Amanda street to Tioga to conform with that part of the street in the city limits; also the name of Grazier street to Hamilton avenue. An effort was made to have the city change its part of the street to Grazier, but as there is already a street of that name in the city, it could not be done."[18] This suggests that the name was originally changed to avoid confusion with a different Pittsburgh street. I cannot find a record of another Grazier Street in Pittsburgh, but there is Frazier Street in South Oakland; perhaps the names were felt to be too similar.

A segment of Hamilton Avenue became part of East Liberty Boulevard in 1969.[19]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Atlas of the Cities of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and the Adjoining Boroughs. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1872. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1872-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1872 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1872
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Grazier and Murtland's plan of property in the 21st Ward Pittsburgh." Laid out June 1874; recorded May 1, 1876, Plan Book 6, pp. 86–87. Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds 3779343. [view source] grazier-murtland-plan
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Atlas of the Cities Pittsburgh and Allegheny. G. M. Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, 1882. http://historicpittsburgh.org/maps-hopkins/1882-atlas-pittsburgh-allegheny; 1882 layer at Pittsburgh Historic Maps (https://esriurl.com/pittsburgh). [view source] hopkins-1882
  4. ↑ George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Vicinity, for 1857–'58. George H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1857, pp. 78, 243. DonsList.net PGH1857CDM; Historic Pittsburgh 01a894773s. [view source] thurston-1857
  5. ↑ George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Vicinity, for 1858–'59. George H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1858, p. 87. Historic Pittsburgh 31735056286630. [view source] thurston-1858
  6. ↑ George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh & Vicinity for 1859–'60. George H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1859, p. 97. Historic Pittsburgh 31735055723062. [view source] thurston-1859
  7. ↑ George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities: And the adjoining boroughs of Birmingham, East Birmingham, Lawrenceville, Manchester, Duquesne, West Pittsburgh, South Pittsburgh, Monongahela, and Temperanceville; also, the villages of Brownstown, Minersville, East Liberty, Hatfield, Woodville, Troy Hill, Mt. Washington, Spring Garden, East Pittsburgh and Oakland; together with parts of Pitt, Collins, Peebles, St. Clair, M'Clure, Reserve, Chartiers and Shaler Townships, for 1862–63. George H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1862, pp. 113, 344. Historic Pittsburgh 31735038289116. [view source] thurston-1862
  8. ↑ George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities: And the adjoining boroughs of Birmingham, East Birmingham, Lawrenceville, Manchester, Duquesne, West Pittsburgh, South Pittsburgh, Monongahela, and Temperanceville; also, of the villages of Brownstown, Minersville, East Liberty, Hatfield, Woodville, Troy Hill, Mt. Washington, Spring Garden, East Pittsburgh & Oakland, together with parts of Pitt, Collins, Peebles, St. Clair, M'Clure, Reserve, Chartiers & Shaler Townships, for 1860–61. George H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1860, p. 118. Google Books sAZNAAAAMAAJ, YQYuAAAAYAAJ. [view source] thurston-1860
  9. ↑ George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities: And the adjoining boroughs of Birmingham, East Birmingham, Lawrenceville, Manchester, Duquesne, West Pittsburgh, South Pittsburgh, Monongahela, and Temperanceville; also, of the villages of Brownstown, Minersville, East Liberty, Hatfield, Woodville, Troy Hill, Mt. Washington, Spring Garden, East Pittsburgh and Oakland, together with parts of Pitt, Collins, Peebles, St. Clair, M'Clure, Reserve, Chartiers and Shaler Townships, for 1861–62. George H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1861, p. 116. Historic Pittsburgh 31735038288050. [view source] thurston-1861
  10. ↑ George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities, the Adjoining Boroughs and Villages; Also, Parts of the Adjacent Townships, for 1863–'64. Geo. H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1863, p. 123. Historic Pittsburgh 31735055723104. [view source] thurston-1863
  11. ↑ George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities, the Adjoining Boroughs and Villages, Also, Parts of the Adjacent Townships, for 1864–'65. Geo. H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1864, pp. 118, 371. DonsList.net PGH_ALLEGH1864_CDM; Historic Pittsburgh 05z902933s. [view source] thurston-1864
  12. ↑ George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities, the Adjoining Boroughs and Villages, Also, Parts of the Adjacent Townships, for 1865–'66. Geo. H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1865, pp. 144, 402. DonsList.net PghAllegh1865CDM; Historic Pittsburgh 31735055722783. [view source] thurston-1865
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities, the Adjoining Boroughs and Villages, Also, Parts of the Adjacent Townships, for 1866–67. Geo. H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1866, p. 154. Historic Pittsburgh 31735055723112. [view source] thurston-1866
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 George H. Thurston. Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Cities, the Adjacent Boroughs, Also, Parts of the Adjacent Townships; for 1868–69. Geo. H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1868, p. 163. Google Books vwYuAAAAYAAJ; Historic Pittsburgh 31735055723146. [view source] thurston-1868
  15. ↑ H. Boone. Directory of Pittsburgh & Allegheny Cities, the Adjacent Boroughs, and Parts of the Adjacent Townships, for 1871–72. Geo. H. Thurston, Pittsburgh, 1871, p. 207. Historic Pittsburgh 31735033431283. [view source] boone-1871
  16. ↑ "An ordinance changing the name of Grazier street to Hamilton avenue." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1891, no. 245. Passed Apr. 13, 1891; approved Apr. 14, 1891. Ordinance Book 8, p. 7=. Reprinted in the Pittsburg Dispatch, Apr. 18, 1891, p. 3 (Newspapers.com 76219752); and in the Pittsburg Press, Apr. 21, 1891, [p. 7] (Newspapers.com 141322479). [view source] ordinance-1891-245
  17. ↑ George T. Fleming. "Wood's [sic] plan of Pittsburgh: Thomas Vickroy's account of the survey of 1784 and parts taken in city's early life by Craig and Bayard." Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Dec. 13, 1914, sec. 2, p. 2. Newspapers.com 85908612. [view source] fleming-woods
  18. ↑ "Brushton brevities: Bits of news picked up in the limits of the new corporation." Pittsburg Press, Sept. 9, 1891, [p. 3]. Newspapers.com 141474457. [view source] brushton-brevities
  19. ↑ "An ordinance changing the names of certain avenues and streets in the Urban Redevelopment Area No. 10, in the Eleventh and Twelfth Wards of the City of Pittsburgh." Pittsburgh city ordinance, 1969, no. 558. Passed Oct. 14, 1969; approved Oct. 21, 1969. Ordinance Book 71, p. 86. In Municipal Record: Minutes of the proceedings of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh: For the year 1969, appendix, pp. 372–373, Park Printing, Inc., Pittsburgh (Internet Archive Pghmunicipalrecord1969). [view source] ordinance-1969-558
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